Great Looking Eco-Friendly Furnishing Ideas For Dorm and Small Apartment Living On A Budget

Triple Storage Cubes Plus bookcase.

Most people have the same basic goals when planning a living space – they want it to look good, be functional, and be economic, but if you have an eco-penchant too, you want to make sure your choices help sustain the environment and protect you from harmful chemicals found in many conventionally-made furnishings.

Right now, as usual, there aren’t that many department stores or even specialty stores near most of us, so our best options are still going shopping online. And, the great news is that there are lots of great eco-stores on the net that won’t break the bank.

Three great eco-outlets on the net that are more like malls are: The Ultimate Green Store, Pristine Planet, and Shades of Light.

The Ultimate Green Store

The Ultimate Green Store feels just like its name implies, has just about everything green that you can think of for your home, office, and life, including wide arrays of home and office furniture, office supplies, electronics, organic mattresses, bedding, linens, apparel accessories, and skin and bath products. And, these are just some of what they have, with most of their things well under $100.

Quad Cubby Organizer. Image by The Ultimate Green Store.

But getting back to furniture, there are several pieces that I especially like – they are: the Triple Storage Cubes Plus bookcase, the Quad Cubby Organizer, and the Storage Cubes.

Looking at the Triple Storage Plus bookcase, one of the great things about it is that it’s tall and slender so it can fit into narrower spaces and if you have more space, you can buy two and put them side-by-side.

The Triple Storage Plus bookcase is great for tall books and can be used as a storage center for other stuff. It also has a closed white back too, but the frame comes in four colors: natural, espresso, black, and white.

All of the Triple Storage Plus units are also water resistant and “sustainably made from zBoard recycled paper,” which is durable, non-toxic, and more lightweight than particle board, according to its maker Way Basics. The company also says all of its products are formaldehyde-free and volatile organic compound (VOC)-free.

Storage Cubes. Image by The Ultimate Green Store.

Also great from Way Basics is its Quad Cubby Organizer with its large open spaces, versatility, and open back, which makes it ideal as an entertainment center. It comes in white, espresso, green, and orange. These cubby organizers are also made of zBoard.

Again from Way Basics are the Storage Cubes, which are also made of zBoard and come in a huge array of colors from natural to wildly colorful, allowing you unlimited personal creative expression.

These Storage Cubes are great because they’re offered in different sizes and can be organized horizontally, stacked vertically, or some combination of both. They come in the colors of: espresso, black, natural, white, green, orange, pink, blue, and red.

Talking more about Way Basics’ materials, the company says on its website that:

zBoards are made almost entirely (99%) from post-consumer recycled paper, and do not consume additional natural resources like trees and the enormous amounts of water needed to make virgin paper. While very strong, paper zBoards are made from the lightest form of wood byproduct.

Particleboard is made from wood particles (like wood chips, sawmill shavings, or sawdust), which is bound together with synthetic resin or other materials, then pressed and extruded. It is fairly heavy.

Plywood is engineered from thin sheets of wood veneer in layers that are glued together. It’s fairly heavy and expensive. It also means that trees must be chopped down to harvest the wood.

Solid wood is made directly from lumber, which means chopping down thousands of trees which adds to the continuing deforestation of large areas of our planet. Solid wood furniture is heavy and generally very expensive.

MDF stands for medium density fiberboard, a variety of particleboard. It’s made by breaking down softwood into small wood fibers and particles that are then bound together with wax and resin. The panels are formed by applying high temperature and pressure. This manufacturing process uses lots of energy resources and puts contaminants into the environment.

Pristine Planet

Pristine Planet is also a great place to look for high quality, eco-friendly products at a moderate price – meaning what the average person can afford.

Pristine Planet is a lot like the Ultimate Green Store in that it also has a wide selection of things including: furniture, apparel, electronics, linens, health and beauty products, fruit baskets, home cleaning products, and pet products.

Eco Value Entertainment Center at Pristine Planet.

One of the main differences between the two online outlets is that Pristine Planet has a wider selection of furniture including: beds, futons, dressers, wardrobe closets, bookcases, chests, and entertainment centers.

Also a thing to keep in mind is that the furniture at Pristine Planet is a little more expensive than at The Ultimate Green Store. The furniture prices are mostly in the mid-to low hundreds.

One of my favorite items from Pristine Planet is the Eco Value Entertainment Center. It’s made from unfinished southern yellow pine. It’s great for dorms or small apartment spaces.

Small Combo Bookcase & Drawer at Pristine Planet.

I like the entertainment center because of all the shelving and open back, which gives a lot of room for entertainment systems as well as books and other stuff. Also, I like the fact that you have the option of leaving it natural or applying a stain and sealer to it.

I would suggest treating the wood because it can dry out and the treatment will make the furniture last longer and stay in better condition. The Patriotic Painting Blog as a great post worth looking at called 10 Eco-Friendly Wood Stains & Sealers & Where to Find Them.

Another great item to consider at Pristine Planet is the small combo bookcase and dresser drawer, which features a bottom dress draw with two bookshelves on top. This is a great piece for extra draw space, room for all your books (at least if you’re a student) and a nice top where you can put things like a decorative bowl to keep your keys, cellphone, etc.   

Freedom Futon Bunk. Image by The Unfinished Furniture.

This combo piece is made from white pine recycled from old barn timbers, and is given an antiqued painting or staining to order.

Possibly my favorite piece at Pristine Planet is the Freedom Futon Bunk. I like it because of its dual function. It’s a bed and a couch that can pull into a bed - great for guests. Also, while it does come with a ladder, the mattress and futon are sold separately.

The bunk is made of southern yellow pine and comes either natural or in a golden oak finishing. It’s also completely non-toxic.

Shades of Light

Jute Pinstripe Rug. Image by Shades of Light.

Shades of Light is a great place to go for accessories for your dorm or home. They have accent pieces that include lighting, lamps, lamp shades, mirrors, rugs, fine art, wall clocks, and decorative furniture like chairs, console tables, coffee tables, and antique-style dressers.

While Shades of Light doesn’t exclusively offer eco-friendly products, they do have a good selection of rugs made from materials including wool and jute. They also have buffet tables and chairs made from reclaimed wood, as well as lamps and lamp shades made of either sustainable or recycled materials.

Repurposed Garden Can Lamp at Shades of Light.

Some of my favorite pieces from Shades of Light come from their large eco-friendly lighting collection. One piece is the Repurposed Galvanized Garden Can Table Lamp because I like the color (it goes well with any décor) and because it adds a bit of whimsy to a room.

If you’re going for a more classic look, then I like the Recycled Round Glass Jug Table Lamp.

Shades of Light also have lamps made of drift wood and curled vine, as well as other material. It’s all definitely worth taking a look at.

Reader comments and input are always welcomed!

Comments

[apartments in minnetonka]

I think all renters should learn to go green in their apartment homes. They don't have to spend much in doing so. They can just make their own or buy from second hand stores if they prefer.

[Kyriaki (Sandy) Venetis]

Thanks for your great comment. I agree with you that those are also options to be considered.

Kyriaki (Sandy) Venetis
GreenVitals
Writer/Publisher

[Dee]

I love that bunk bed with a sofa underneath! It's perfect for a flat!